Youth Programs

This page was updated on 29 July 2025.

Castlemaine Rotary supports a range of programs directed toward younger members of our community.

For further information, contact Rotary Youth Director: T erry Murphy.

At a glance (see below for details)

Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN), 15–17, Years 9–11, 3-day weekend residential camp
Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA), Years 9–10, weekend program
Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA), 18–25, one-week program
Science Experience, year 9–10, 1–3-day program
National Youth Science Forum (NYSF), commencing year 12, 12-day program

Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) Updated July 2025

The Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) is a weekend camp for young people where participants develop their potential through a mixture of lecture-style sessions and adventure-based learning.

RYPEN is designed for those students who are seen as upcoming leaders and who just need a bit of a push and a confidence boost to start achieving their full potential.

During the weekend students are encouraged to learn to understand themselves and others and manage their relationships, lives, work, and learning more effectively.

RYPEN provides an experience of ideas, problems, and social experiences which will assist them in forming their own values and moral standards and allow them to broaden their horizons culturally, socially and academically.

Challenge by choice is an important aspect of the program experience.

The Information Pack for Students Parent/Guardian Letter with its included RYPEN CONSENT FORM are normally distributed by Secondary Schools.

Eligibility: Age 15–17, Years 9–11
Dates: 5:00pm Friday 5th September to 2:00pm Sunday 7th September.
Location: Camp Getaway Axedale
Application: Email for details. Completed applications close 20 August 2025.
Support: Cost $297, paid by Rotary Castlemaine.

Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA)

This international youth program simulates the workings of the United Nations Assembly by having a team of two senior students from a school represent a particular UN country.

The assembly aims to build goodwill, world peace and understanding through the experience of tackling issues from the viewpoint of the team’s “adopted” country, even where this may be completely contrary to their own views.

The students debate on matters of world political and social concern. Students use research, debating and public speaking skills to address a wide range of contemporary and world-focussed issues. The program extends over a weekend and it is chaired and judged by Rotarians.

MUNA is held in May each year.

Eligibility: Year 10 and 11
Dates: May, 2026
Location: Melbourne University
Application: TBA
Support: ~$660 per team of 2 plus ~$25 for bus ticket per person to camp, paid by Rotary Castlemaine.

Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) Updated July 2025

RYLA is a residential camp unlike any other. Over seven days, participants are immersed in a program centred around three key themes: Challenge by choice, diversity, and time out.

RYLA encourages emerging and experienced leaders to reflect on their own skills and personal strengths to effectively contribute to their communities in a practical manner. RYLA provides opportunities to share leadership experiences within a diverse group to understand the unique qualities, abilities, and skills of others and how this diversity can empower and encourage participants to facilitate teamwork and greater understanding.

The RYLA program includes a formal dinner to which all Rotarians are invited.

Eligibility: 18–25 years
Dates: Sunday 30 November to Saturday 6 December 2025 at
Location: Camp Getaway, Axedale
Application: Open at https://www.ryla9800.org.au/ Applications close 10 November 2025.
Support: $950, paid by Rotary Castlemaine.

Science Experience

Each program is designed to provide year 9–10 students who have an interest in science with an opportunity to engage in a wide range of fascinating science activities under the guidance of scientists who love their work.

Eligibility: Year 9–10
Dates and locations:
Location | Program dates | Best apply before
University of Melbourne, Dookie | 26–28 November 2025 | 20 October 2025
University of Melbourne | 19–21 January 2026 | 1 December 2025
RMIT University | 20–22 January 2026 | 1 December 2025
Application: Students wishing to be sponsored should download an application form and send it to Rotary Castlemaine.

National Youth Science Forum — January 2026 Updated July 2025

The National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) Year 12 Program gives students who are about to start Year 12 a broader understanding of study and career options in science.

Applications for the 2026 NYSF Year 12 program are now closed.

We encourage interested students to begin their application early to have time to gather any required information to complete the application.

Suggestions about your application.

All applications are online. Go to https://www.nysf.edu.au/programs/year-12-program/
You have to promote yourself. NYSF is a sought-after award and you are competing against students from around Australia for a place.
Obviously STEM and career interests are important, but so are:
- Interests and hobbies; Work; School and other awards;Leadership experiences;
- Travel, music, sport, life experiences such as farming, coping with floods or drought, or health issues; and
- Voluntary work or contact with Rotary or other service clubs.

If you need any assistance you can call Youth Director Terry Murphy on 0425 712 362. Parents are welcome to call if they need additional information.

Funding assistance through Rotary and NYSF

Rotary Castlemaine supports local students selected to attend NYSF by contributing 50% of the student program fee. The 2026 fee is $3,065.00 plus a non-refundable $70 application fee.

The program fee covers all accommodation, meals, and activities while at the program, but does not cover travel to and from the program or travel insurance.
NYSF Access and Equity Scholarship is MOST Important for regional students. All regional students are eligible and need to apply at the time you submit your NYSF application. We suggest you discuss this with your parents. Go to https://www.nysf.edu.au/what-we-do/equity-scholarships/

NYSF tick of approval

Castlemaine Secondary College students Pip Kelly-Buttfield and Aleka Adam have attended NYSF in 2024 and 2025 respectively.

At a Rotary meeting, Pip explained the stringent selection process and was clearly enthused at his experiences with participating organisations. An experience Pip will long remember was seeing fertiliser created from waste food using maggots, but a presentation by CERN was memorable for all the right reasons!

Ultimately, attending the NYSF program influenced Pip to change his preferred direction from palaeontology to aerospace engineering.

He had amazing experiences, made friends and connections, and fabulous memories to look back on. He is grateful for this life-changing experience and the contributions of Rotarians both as sponsors, providers and volunteers who made it all happen.

“I saw the link to apply for the forum sent out by my science teacher and thought it was impossible,” Aleka said, “but eventually I applied, and it was an amazing feeling to be accepted."

Aleka was particularly impressed by a CSRIO session and while the main outcome for her is that “I just want to do science,” her current top two interests being astrophysics and immunology.

“It wasn’t just science; it was an opportunity to make friends and grow socially," said Aleka. "It was great to be around people who love STEM, and we’re still talking.”